June 2010 Archives

There are many methods of cooking food and sanitizing water in a crisis situation. Fuel is the great leveler. Fortunately, the sun is a reliable and abundant fuel source where I come from.

I built this solar oven from recycled cabinetry and a windshield deflector. You can build yours out of a shoebox. It's easier than you think.

*DIY coming soon*

Self-reliance is an admirable practice, but at times we all need a back-up system. Using some commonly available electronics, open-source software, and spare parts from your garage you can build your own robotic sentry gun. An automated sentry uses a live camera feed in conjunction with a number of servos to acquire, aim, and fire on potentially hostile targets.

The sentry I developed for RECESS uses an improvised shotgun as the "dispenser." The single shot may be considered a limitation, but so as to act as an intelligent booby-trap. You can add other "dispensers" to your own sentry for varied defense strategies.





The software in my sentry is based on this open-source project, and many hours put in with my good friend James (who is WAY faster than I am on a road bike).

In a resource scarcity crisis access to fresh food is critical to survival. Vital proteins and fats are essential for enduring the long haul. Fortunately there is plenty of small game out there if you are looking for it. In the first months following a resource scarcity crisis, you may be able to survive on neighborhood cats and small dogs. Depending on your region, rabbits, squirrels, prairie dogs, and or rats may be an option. Trapping alive guarantees you are getting fresh, healthy game. 



These designs, and the video (after the jump) will show you how to build your own live game trap. Bludgeoning or bleeding out the game is another matter altogether.

This design is based on a paiute deadfall.

Self-reliance is an admirable practice, but at times we all need a back-up. Using some commonly available electronics, open-source software, and spare parts from your garage you can build your own robotic sentry gun. An automated sentry uses a live camera feed in conjunction with a number of servos to acquire, aim, and fire on potentially hostile targets.

The sentry I developed for RECESS uses an improvised shot gun as the "dispenser." The single shot may be considered a limitation, but so as to act as an intelligent booby-trap. You can add other "dispensers" to your own sentry for varied defense strategies.


The software in my sentry is based on this open-source project, and many hours put in with my good friend James (who is WAY faster than I am on a road bike).






here is a short video demo:




Notes for optimal use:

Save Energy - Once the sentry is calibrated and set to guard your bunker door, use a timer to boot the sentry into operational status automatically -  at the times you need it most.

Take Control - I recommend using a VPN, so you can remote in to the controller computer from your network or the Internet. This allows you to see through the Sentry's "eyes" in real-time, and/or strike the FIRE button manually.

Don't ever underestimate the value of your trash can. This is a quick preview of a networked rain barrel design I cooked up. The photos describe the end product a bit better than my production sketch, but the parts list is buried in that chicken scratch.




This video hits the major points, but look for a proper rain barrel DIY in the coming weeks:






Some additional pics are after the jump